Fluid sprinkler



July 3, 1956 F. c, HUBBARD 2,753,211

FLUID SPRINKLER Filed Oct. 18, 1951 /T/- 36 f7@ i 56 /2 Y 5j V FLUID SPRINKLER Francis C. Hubbard, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application Uctober 18, 1951, Serial No. 251,941

i Claims. (Cl. 299-69) This invention relates to rotary uid sprinklers and more particularly to an improved type of sprinkler adapted to be operated over a wide range of liuid supply pressures.

@ne of the most diflicult problems in constructing an emcient iiuid sprinkler is that of obtaining a uniform saturation of the area surrounding the sprinkler. Many sprinkler heads and varieties of moving arms have been devised to assist in accomplishing this purpose. There is still another problem, however, which is closely associated with the foregoing and that is the problem of obtaining a uniform distribution of the fluid upon the area to be covered at various pressures of the iiuid as it is supplied to the sprinkler. Many devices which are designed to operate efficiently for proper distribution at one pressure will fail completely to give an even distrituition at another pressure. Furthermore, most sprinkling devices do not even function at all at low pressures in the neighborhood of but a few pounds per square inch because of the great amount of frictional resistance to the rotation of the sprinkler and because of dirt and foreign material which accumulates on the bearing surfaces.

lt is therefore a prime object of my invention to provide an eiiicient and trouble-free sprinkler which will operate in a predetermined manner at pressures varying from high pressures through average operating pressures such as thirty to sixty pounds on a city Water supply system down to pressures as low as two pounds per square inch.

it is a further object of this invention to provide for a sprinkler which will give an even distribution of liquid upon a circular area at all pressures within a wide range even though the area covered may vary with the degree of pressure.

it is a further object of this invention to provide for long wear against friction and continuous usage of the sprinkler by utilizing bearing assembly having two separate bearings, one operable for W-pressure use and the other operable during high-pressure use.

lt is a still further object of this inveniton to provide for a bearing assembly in a sprinkling device which is both cleaned and lubricated by a portion of the liquid which is being sprinkled, therefore allowing the sprinkler to operate uniformly at both high and low pressures over long periods of time without requiring cleaning or repairing.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

Fig. l is a perspective View of my entire sprinkler.

Fig. 2 is a top elevation of the sprinkler attached to a source of tiuid pressure.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the bearing assembly and a portion of the base structure and hub structure taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 and showing the bear- States Patent i C rfi ing position while operating under high fluid pressure.

Fig. 4 shows the same vertical section of the bearing assembly as in Fig. 3 with the bearing assembly in the operating position assumed While running under low fluid pressure.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical segment of a sprinkler head mounted on the end of a tubular .arm taken on the line 5*-5 as viewed in the direction of the arrows 5 5 in Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, my improved fluid sprinkler comprises a base structure indicated generally by the letter B in Figs. l and 2 which in turn comprises a stand 10 which is of suicient width or diameter to prevent accidental tipping or turning during use. As the central portion of my base structure a tubular connector element 11 has an inlet 12 communicat` ing therewith for the passage of fluid through the coupling 13 which in turn is adapted to be fastened or secured to a supply line or hose 14, by means of a corresponding coupler 15. Extending outwardly from the standard i@ is a neck 16 which is a continuation of my base structure B and also has a passageway for liquid communication with the fluid supply .line 1d. At the outermost portion of the neck 16 of the tubular connector is threaded or otherwise attached a coupling member 17 which is ot' larger inside diameter than the neck 16 of the tubular connector. The inner edge of coupiing 17' niay be threaded as at 18 to receive an annular bearing race having formed therein the grooved race 2d. Roller bearings 21 are disposed in the race 2G for circular motion therein. The term roller bearing as used herein includes all rotatable bearing elements for interposition between two races, thus l may use ball bearings, needle bearings and tapered bearings of various forros and sizes to accomplish my purpose. Rotatably mounted within the race 19 is a tubular member 22, the inner portion of which communicates with the neck lo of the tubular connector for the passage of fluid therethrough. At the lower end of the tubular element 22 is an integral shoulder portion 23 upon which rests an annular dishshiped race member 2d. Roller bearings 25 are disposed upon the race element 24 in a manner similar to the distribution of roller bearings 21 upon race 19. The cooperating race element 26 completes the bearing surface for the lower part of the entire bearing assembly. The race element 26 is likewise annularly positioned about the tube 22 in a close clearance therewith. The end of tubular portion 22 opposite that having the shouldered portion 23 may be threaded as at 27 for drawing down an annular nut 23, one surface of which may serve as the cooperating race together with race 19 for the roller bearings 21. The end of the threaded portion 2'? terminates definitely in a final thread 2.1i which acts as a shoulder or stop to position the annular nut 23 in a tired position relative to the shoulder 23 for a purpose hereinafter described. The entire bearing assembly inv cluding both sets of roller bearings is indicated generally by the letter R.

Threaded to the upper portion of tube 22 or otherwise secured thereto is the rotatable hub structure indicated generally as H. The central portion of this hub `structure is a hollow hub 30 which forms a watertight connection with the tube 22. The hollow chamber 31 within the hub 3@ has one or more small orifices 32 extending from the cap portion of the hub 3ft). These iiXed orifices are for the purpose of sprinkling fluid in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler base which is not normally reached by the main sprinkling action. Drilled and tapped radially through the hollow hub 39 are openings 33 which may be disposed at a slight downward angle as shown in Fig. 3 in order to accentuate the outward throw of pressurized fluid emanating from the sprinkler. Mounted upon the hub 30 at the openings 33 are tubular arms 34 with interior passageways 35 for communicating with the hollow portion 31 of hub 30. The arms 34 are dynamically balanced for smooth operation and have at their outer extremities formed therewith or attached as a separate element sprinkler nozzles as at 36. The sprinkler nozzles 36 has a hollow portion 37 for communicating with the passageway 35 of the tubular arm 34 and further has as its sole outlets to the atmosphere a series of orifices 38 preferably aligned in a row parallel to the axis of tubular arm 34 and disposed at a variety of fixed discharge angles. The iixed discharge angles may be arranged in increased order with the increased distance from the hub portion 30 as shown in Fig. 5. Thus the innermost orilices will have the least outward throw and the others progressively a greater throw with the outermost orifices having the greatest pitch and the ability to discharge liuid particles therefrom for the greatest distance outwardly from the sprinkler.

Each of the sprinkler nozzles 36 may be similarly equipped with discharge orifices in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 5. In order to evenly distribute fluid over the entire area covered, however, I have found that by placing each sprinkler nozzle on its arm 34 at a slightly different angle from that of its neighboring sprinkler nozzle 36 I may effect an even distribution over the area covered whether operating at a high pressure such as, for example, the full line pressure of a water supply system, and likewise can get the same even distribution over a smaller area when operating upon a much reduced pressure such as in the neighborhood of two to three pounds per square inch. I have found that a very good distribution can be obtained by the use of three tubular arms 34 with the sprinkler nozzles arranged with the row of orifices 38 disposed straight up on one of the tubular arms, the sprinkler nozzle of a second of the tubular arms rotated to an angle of about 25 degrees with the vertical and the sprinkler nozzle on the thread of said tubular arms rotated to about 45 degrees with the vertical.

During the operation of my sprinkler, iiuid pressure is supplied through line or hose 14 via the coupling 13-15 to the tubular connector comprising elements 11, 12 and 16. At this point the fluid surrounds the shouldered portion 23 of the rotatable tube 22 and travels upwardly therethrough to communicate with the tubular arms 34 and their corresponding sprinkler nozzles. A small portion of the fluid will be ejected in a iinely divided state through orifices 32 and will fall in the immediate vicinity of the sprinkler as herebefore mentioned. The bulk of the fluid enters the arms 34 and is discharged from the orifices 38 in the sprinkler nozzles 36. The various angles of discharge of the orifices cause the ejected fluid to cover an annular area of ground outside the sprinkler which is at the center of the annular band. If each of the sprinkler nozzles were disposed at exactly the same angle this annular band would receive the bulk of the iinely divided fluid and areas to the inside of the annular band would be unsaturated, as well as areas beyond the given band. By rotating one of the sprinkler nozzles to a position straight up as shown in Fig. 2 an annular area closer to the sprinkler is evenly covered with the fluid droplets and by rotating another of the sprinkler nozzles in a more exaggerated angle an annular area just outside the first mentioned area will be similarly covered by the fluid droplets. It may thus be seen that I can evenly cover a large circular area surrounding the sprinkler in a manner so as to give each square unit substantially an equivalent amount of spray fluid. This even distribution is obtained through a wide variety of pressures since the banded area covered by each sprinkler head shrinks proportionately in diameter without destroying the even and complete distribution thereover.

A further effect of the application of high and low pressures to the sprinkler may be observed by referring to Figs. 3 and 4 during high pressure application, that is, pressures sufficient during the operation of the sprinkler to overcome the weight of the hub structure during the supply of pressurized fluid thereto. The shouldered portion 23 of the tube 22 will then be raised so as to bring the race 24 together with the roller bearings 25 situated thereon into contact with the annular race 26 and the lower portion of element 19. In this condition the roller bearings 25 will function as thrust bearings to allow the hub structure to rotate freely thereon. During this high pressure operation, the roller bearings 21 are in static or inoperable condition be cause of the slight clearance 39 between the roller bearings 21 and the annular race member 28.

When, however, a lower pressure is applied to the sprinkler via the supply line 14 which pressure is insufficient to raise the weight of the hub structure during its rotative operation, the entire hub structure will rest upon the roller bearings 21 with the annular race 28 and the race 19 being in contact therewith. During this low pressure operation, the converse differential effect takes place and the roller bearings 25 become inoperative with the race 26 tioating with the rotating tube 22 and not causing the roller bearings 25 to operate.

During either high or low pressure operation of the sprinkler I provide a restricted passageway 4t) between the tubular element 22 and the race member 19 which will allow seepage of the liquid under pressure to find its way from the tubular connection 16 past the race 24, around the roller bearings 25, past the race 26, through the restricted passageway 40, around the roller bearings 21 and out to the atmosphere in minute quantities. This seepage uid thus removes small particles of foreign material and dirt from both the upper and lower bearings and maintains the entire bearing assembly both clean and lubricated. Where my sprinkler is used for purposes of watering a lawn the race elements may be constructed of a dissimilar metal from that composing the roller bearings such as, for example, bronze as opposed to the stainless steel of which the roller bearings are constructed. This combination of metals adapt themselves to water lubrication and a long and troublefree life may be expected from the sprinkler.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

l. A liquid sprinkier of the rotary type comprising a base having an upright tubular portion adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized fluid, a hollow hub structure having a downwardly formed tube in loosely intertitting relation for at least a portion of its length and in liquid communication with said tubular portion of the base, an annular thrust bearing connection between the interlitting portion of the downwardly formed tube and the upright tubular portion of the base, said bearing connection having limited fluid communication with the tubular portion of the base, a second annular thrust bearing connection between said intertting tubular portions and lying in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the plane of the iirst mentioned bearing connection, said second bearing connection having fluid communication between the interlitting tubular portions with the first mentioned bearing connection and communicating further with the atmosphere whereby a relatively small proportion of pressurized fluid flowing through said tubes will escape from the upright base tube through the rst of said bearing connections then through the second bearing connections and outwardly into the atmosphere for lubricating and cleansing both of said bearing connections during ow of pressurized fluid through said tubes.

2. A liquid sprinkler of the rotary tube comprising a base having an upright tubular portion adapted to be connected to source of pressurized lluid, a hollow sprinkling hub having a downwardly formed medial tube in slight concentric clearance and in liquid communication with said tubular portion of the base, an upper bearing connection between said sprinkler hub and said upright tubular portion of the base, said upper bearing connection Communicating with the tubular portion of thc bas-e through restricted clearance at the interiitting concentric area and further communicating with the atmosphere, and a lower bearing connection between said sprinkler hub and said upright base tube and positioned internally thereof, said lower bearing communicating with the tubular portion of the base and having restricted communica tion with the upper bearing, whereby a relatively small amount of pressurized fluid will escape from the base tube first through the lower bearing then through said restricted clearance to the upper bearing and thence to the atmosphere for lubricating said bearings and maintaining them free of grit and dirt.

3. A liquid sprinkler of the rotary type comprising a base having an upright' tubular portion adapted to be connected to a source of pressurized uid, said tubular portion having an annular shoulder formed thereon, a hollow sprinkling hub structure having a downwardly formed tube in loosely intertting concentric relation and in liquid communication with the tubular portion of the base, said downwardly formed tube having a pair of annular abutments formed therewith, an upper bearing connection between said hub structure and said upright tubular pon tion of the base, said upper bearing connection cornrnunicating with the tubular portion of the base through slight clearance at the intertting concentric area, and a lower bearing connection between said hub structure and said upright base tube lying in a plane in spaced parallel relation with respect to the plane of said upper bearing, said lower bearing communicating with the tubular portion of the base and having restricted communication with the upper bearing, one of said annular abutments on the hub overlying the base tube at the upper bearing and the other annular abutment underlying the annular abutment of the base tube at the lower bearing.

4. A liquid sprinkler of the rotary type comprising a base and tubular connector for communicating with a pressurized liquid supply line, a rotatable hollow hub structurc communicating with said tubular connector, and a bearing assembly mounted between said tubular connector and said rotatable hollow hub structure and having a rst bearing supporting the rotatable hollow hub structure with respect to the tubular connector and operable during the application of low liquid pressure to the sprinkler, and a second bearing having inoperable clearance during said application ol low pressure but operable as a thrust bearing during the application of high liquid pressure to the sprinkler suticient to raise the hub structure from support on the first bearing, and a passageway between said first and second bearings for cleaning and lubricating both bearings at all times during the operation of said sprinkler by leakage of the pressurized liquid through said passageway.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

